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Levant

Splendour and Catastrophe on the Mediterranean

By Philip Mansel

E-Book

£P.O.R.

The first English-language history of the Levant in the modern age

Levant is a book of cities. It describes the role of Smyrna, Alexandria and Beirut as windows on the world, escapes from nationality and tradition, centres of wealth, pleasure and freedom. By their mix of races and religions, they challenge stereotypes. France and Britain liberated the area through their schools, while conquering it through arms. They were not only manipulators but manipulated, often invited in by local factions. Smyrna, Alexandria and Beirut were both pacifiers and stimulants of nationalism. Nasser was born in Alexandria, Smyrna and Beirut became centres of Turkish and Arab nationalism.

Using unpublished family papers Philip Mansel describes their colourful, contradictory history, from the beginning of the French alliance with the Ottoman Empire in the sixteenth century to their decline in the mid twentieth century. Smyrna was burnt; Alexandria Egyptianised; Beirut lacerated by civil war. Levant is the first history in English of these cities in the modern age. Levant is also a challenge from history. It is about ourselves; it shows how Muslims, Christians and Jews live together in cities. Levantine compromises, putting deals befor ideals, pragmatism before ideology, made these cities work, until states reclaimed them for nationalism. Smyrna, Alexandria and Beirut have a message for today. The new Levantine cities of the twenty-first century, with comparable mixes of races and religions, are London, Paris and New York.

Other details

ISBN:
9781848544628

Publication date:
11 Nov 2010

Page count:

Imprint:
John Murray

Praise for Constantinople: City of the World's Desire — -

'An endless treasure chest of fascinating facts and extraordinary revelations . . . a cultural and social history as much as a political and military one, Mansel's oustandingly researched portrait of this intriguing city and its exotic denizens is gripping' — Robert Carver, Scotsman

'Marvellous . . . the experience of the whole city grows with the book . . . you always feel close to the beat of Constantinople's raffish and mysterious heart' — Michael Ratcliffe, Observer

'The victory, the defeat, the magnificene, the squalor, the cruelty and the tolerance of the Ottoman years are all recorded there. Constantinople is one of those cities to which I always long to return, and the longing grows on every page' — Anthony Daniels, Sunday Telegraph

Hodder & Stoughton

This is Gomorrah

Tom Chatfield

Epic Continent

Nicholas Jubber

Authors:

Nicholas Jubber

These are the stories that made Europe.Journeying from Turkey to Iceland, award-winning travel writer Nicholas Jubber takes us on a fascinating adventure through our continent's most enduring epic poems to learn how they were shaped by their times, and how they have since shaped us. The great European epics were all inspired by moments of seismic change: The Odyssey tells of the aftermath of the Trojan War, the primal conflict from which much of European civilisation was spawned. The Song of the Nibelungen tracks the collapse of a Germanic kingdom on the edge of the Roman Empire. Both the French Song of Roland and the Serbian Kosovo Cycle emerged from devastating conflicts between Christian and Muslim powers. Beowulf, the only surviving Old English epic, and the great Icelandic Saga of Burnt Njal, respond to times of great religious struggle - the shift from paganism to Christianity. These stories have stirred passions ever since they were composed, motivating armies and revolutionaries, and they continue to do so today.Reaching back into the ancient and medieval eras in which these defining works were produced, and investigating their continuing influence today, Epic Continent explores how matters of honour, fundamentalism, fate, nationhood, sex, class and politics have preoccupied the people of Europe across the millennia. In these tales soaked in blood and fire, Nicholas Jubber discovers how the world of gods and emperors, dragons and water-maidens, knights and princesses made our own: their deep impact on European identity, and their resonance in our turbulent times.

The Arab of the Future 3

Riad Sattouf

The Culture of God

Nadim Nassar

Authors:

Nadim Nassar

'So much of the reporting of the Middle East at the moment reflects war and human misery; it's inspiring to find, in this thoughtful and engaging book, a message of hope from what Fr Nadim calls "that region of the world that God chose to live in when he took human form"' Edward Stourton'The ultimate question of this book is, why does it matter to me, a human being, to know the culture of God, and what impact should that have on my own life and existence? The culture of God is the antithesis of the culture of the Pharisees - yet again and again we fall into the trap of condemning or excluding others. Understanding the culture of God helps us to uncover God's image within us, a shining jewel buried deep under the dirt of our selfishness and greed, and helps us to shine as God intends us to, re-forming our relationships with God and with each other in our amazingly diverse world.'It is as we read the Bible, argues Father Nadim Nassar, that we are invited to discover what 'the culture of God' - the community of love that makes up the Trinity - looks like, and how it might transform our lives and our faith. But in order to do so we need to understand the culture of the Bible itself, as well as the particular culture that forms our own worldview. Ultimately it is Jesus who has direct access to the culture of God; and so we also need to understand Jesus within his first-century Levantine context.Father Nadim Nassar is the Church of England's only Syrian priest and an outspoken advocate for western Christians to recognise the Middle-Eastern roots of their faith. The fresh and provocative reflections in The Culture of God, his first book, are informed by his experience of growing up in Syria and living through the conflicts in the region, especially the civil wars in Lebanon and Syria. Taking us on a journey through the mystery of the incarnation, to Jesus' role as storyteller - Al-Hakawati - his relationship with a disparate cast of people as narrated by the gospels, and finally his death and resurrection, Father Nadim unfolds for us the culture of God and what it can mean for a world that so desperately needs both freedom and a way to embrace diversity. 'Fr Nadim's personal experience of the painful effects of war and conflict in the Middle East is an insightful lens into the brokenness of humanity that leads to the ongoing violation of the God-given sanctity and dignity of life. At the same time, the paradox of the Crucifixion and Christianity is presented as a key to understanding the restoration of that same humanity, and the possibility of reconciliation with God and one another if the life and teachings of Christ are truly lived.' Archbishop Angaelos, Coptic Orthodox Archbishop of London

WTF?

Robert Peston

Authors:

Robert Peston

A Times Top 10 Bestseller'Richly argued and brilliantly written... a deeply thoughtful analysis that should be mandatory reading for anyone seeking to understand where we have gone wrong.' Vernon Bogdanor, Financial TimesAs with his previous bestsellers, WHO RUNS BRITAIN? and HOW DO WE FIX THIS MESS?, in Robert Peston's WTF? he draws on his years of experience as a political, economics and business journalist to show us what has gone bad and gives us a manifesto to put at least some of it right. Framed by two letters to his father (who died in early 2016) WTF? is Robert Peston's highly personal account of what those who have ruled us for years got so badly wrong, and what we need to do to mend the terrible fractures in our society.With characteristic passion and clarity he looks at what must happen to prevent democracy being subverted by technocratic geniuses with the ability to manipulate social media, how and whether it is possible to make a success of leaving the EU, what the lessons should be of the appalling Grenfell Tower tragedy, whether robots can be stopped from taking our work, what can be done to staunch the widening gap between rich and poor, and how to raise living standards for all.WTF? is a trenchant, often entertaining account of the recent past. It is also a call to action, giving hope to all of us who believe that taking back control is not only vital, but possible.

The Lost Order

Steve Berry

Deeds Not Words

Helen Pankhurst

Authors:

Helen Pankhurst

On the 100th anniversary of women getting the vote, Helen Pankhurst - great-granddaughter of suffragette leader Emmeline Pankhurst and a leading women's rights campaigner - charts how women's lives have changed over the last century, and offers a powerful and positive argument for a new way forward.Why is it taking so long? Despite huge progress since the original suffragette campaigns and wave after wave of new feminism, women are still not equal. On the centenary of one of the greatest steps forward for women - the Vote - Suffragette descendent and campaigner Helen Pankhurst takes the reader on a journey exploring how women's lives have changed over the last 100 years, and how we can take things even further. Combining historical insight with inspiring argument, Deeds not Words to be essential reading for anyone who wants to know more about how far women have come since the Suffragettes, how far we still have to go, and how we will get there.(P)2018 Hodder & Stoughton Limited

Quiet Girls Can Run the World

Rebecca Holman

Authors:

Rebecca Holman

What does success look like? 5AM conference calls and late nights in the office? Winning every argument in the office and always getting your own way? What does a successful woman look like? The shoulder-pad wearing Alpha? The dogmatist who rules with an iron fist? The reality is far more nuanced. Yet women are still reduced to Alpha boss, or the Beta secretary or assistant but when 47% of the workforce are reduced to two unhelpful stereotypes, how can you embrace your inner Beta and be a success on your own terms? It's an important question because the world is changing, fast. Successful companies need people who can lead with emotional intelligence, be flexible to new ideas and adapt their plans when required, leaving their ego at the door. The Beta woman's time is now. Beta celebrates the collaborators, the pragmatists, and the people who believe that being nice works and getting your own way isn't always the most important thing. It explores the unsung workforce of Beta women who are being great bosses, great leaders and are still living their own lives: having relationships, making time for friends, having families. Fully researched and rich with interviews, anecdotes and case studies, Beta will be a smart and entertaining read that really explores the role of women in the workplace today.

Towers in the Mist

Elizabeth Goudge

Authors:

Elizabeth Goudge

An enchanting story of hope and fulfilment, set amid the Oxford colleges.Set in Elizabethan times, Faithful, a poor Londoner, heads for Oxford. He's bright, cheeky and good-looking, has a tremendous love of learning and hopes to be an Oxford scholar. When he is taken in by Canon Leigh and his family, Faithful begins to fulfil his dreams. In this coming-of-age tale, the excitement, squalor and beauty of the English Renaissance unfolds through the lives of two girls growing up, Oxford students approaching the threshold of distinguished careers, and their elders navigating the complicated waters of sixteenth-century England.What readers are saying about TOWERS IN THE MIST'A delight' - 5 STARS'One of the best' - 5 STARS'Brimming with life and charm; - 5 STARS'Absolutely magical' - 5 STARS'A novel which deserves to be read more than once' - 5 STARS

An Account of the Decline of the Great Auk, According to One Who Saw It

Jessie Greengrass

Martin Luther

Peter Stanford

Authors:

Peter Stanford

'A compelling biography of one of the greatest men of the modern age. Stanford is particularly brilliant on the tensions inside Luther's private and spiritual life. This is a very fine book, written with a flourish.' Melvyn BraggThe 31st of October 2017 marks the 500th anniversary of Martin Luther pinning his 95 'Theses' - or reform proposals - to the door of his local university church in Wittenberg. Most scholars now agree that the details of this eye-catching gesture are more legend than hammer and nails, but what is certainly true is that on this day (probably in a letter to his local Archbishop in Mainz), the Augustinian Friar and theologian issued an outspokenly blunt challenge to his own Catholic Church to reform itself from within - especially over the sale of 'indulgences' - which ultimately precipitated a huge religious and political upheaval right across Europe and divided mainstream Christianity ever after.A new, popular biography from journalist Peter Stanford, looking at Martin Luther from within his Catholic context, examining his actual aims for Catholicism as well as his enduring legacy - and where he might fit within the church today. 'Peter Stanford makes the life of Luther into a thrilling narrative, told from a modern Catholic perspective' Antonia Fraser

The Arab of the Future 2

Riad Sattouf

Sicily

John Julius Norwich

Authors:

John Julius Norwich

'Sicily is the key to everything' Johann Wolfgang von Goethe The author of the classic book on Venice turns his sights to Sicily in this beautiful book full of maps and colour photographs.'I discovered Sicily almost by mistake . . .We drove as far as Naples, then put the car on the night ferry to Palermo. There was a degree of excitement in the early hours when we passed Stromboli, emitting a rich glow every half-minute or so like an ogre puffing on an immense cigar; and a few hours later, in the early morning sunshine, we sailed into the Conca d'Oro, the Golden Shell, in which the city lies. Apart from the beauty of the setting, I remember being instantly struck by a change in atmosphere. The Strait of Messina is only a couple of miles across and the island is politically part of Italy; yet somehow one feels that one has entered a different world . . . This book is, among other things, an attempt to analyse why this should be.' The stepping stone between Europe and Africa, the gateway between the East and the West, at once a stronghold, clearing-house and observation post, Sicily has been invaded and fought over by Phoenicians and Greeks, Carthaginians and Romans, Goths and Byzantines, Arabs and Normans, Germans, Spaniards and the French for thousands of years. It has belonged to them all - and yet has properly been part of none. John Julius Norwich was inspired to become a writer by his first visit in 1961 and this book is the result of a fascination that has lasted over half a century. In tracing its dark story, he attempts to explain the enigma that lies at the heart of the Mediterranean's largest island. This vivid short history covers everything from erupting volcanoes to the assassination of Byzantine emperors, from Nelson's affair with Emma Hamilton to Garibaldi and the rise of the Mafia. Taking in the key buildings and towns, and packed with fascinating stories and unforgettable characters, Sicily is the book he was born to write.

The Arab of the Future

Riad Sattouf

Authors:

Riad Sattouf

VOLUME 1 IN THE UNFORGETTABLE STORY OF AN EXTRAORDINARY CHILDHOODA GUARDIAN BOOK OF THE YEAR 2015/2016 | AN OBSERVER GRAPHIC BOOK OF THE YEAR 2016 | A NEW YORK TIMES CRITICS' TOP BOOKS OF 2016 'EXUBERANTLY HERETICAL''I tore through it... The most enjoyable graphic novel I've read in a while' Zadie Smith'I joyously recommend this book to you' Mark Haddon'Riad Sattouf is one of the great creators of our time' Alain De Botton'Beautifully-written and drawn, witty, sad, fascinating... Brilliant' Simon Sebag MontefioreThe Arab of the Future tells the unforgettable story of Riad Sattouf's childhood, spent in the shadows of three dictators - Muammar Gaddafi, Hafez al-Assad, and his father.In striking, virtuoso graphic style that captures both the immediacy of childhood and the fervor of political idealism, Riad Sattouf recounts his nomadic childhood growing up in rural France, Gaddafi's Libya, and Assad's Syria - but always under the roof of his father, a Syrian Pan-Arabist who drags his family along in his pursuit of grandiose dreams for the Arab nation.Riad, delicate and wide-eyed, follows in the trail of his mismatched parents: his mother, a bookish French student, is as modest as his father is flamboyant. Venturing first to the Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab State and then joining the family tribe in Homs, Syria, they hold fast to the vision of the paradise that always lies just around the corner. And hold they do, though food is scarce, children kill dogs for sport, and with locks banned, the Sattoufs come home one day to discover another family occupying their apartment. The ultimate outsider, Riad, with his flowing blond hair, is called the ultimate insult... Jewish. And in no time at all, his father has come up with yet another grand plan, moving from building a new people to building his own great palace.Brimming with life and dark humour, The Arab of the Future reveals the truth and texture of one eccentric family in an absurd Middle East, and also introduces a master cartoonist in a work destined to stand alongside Maus and Persepolis.Translated by Sam Taylor.WINNER OF THE LOS ANGELES TIMES BOOK PRIZE FOR GRAPHIC NOVELSNOMINATED FOR 'BEST REALITY-BASED WORK' AT THE EISNER AWARDS'ENGROSSING' New York Times'A PAGE TURNER' Guardian'MARVELLOUS... BEGS TO BE READ IN ONE LONG SITTING' Herald'AN OBJECT OF CONSENSUAL RAPTURE' New Yorker'ONE OF THE GREATEST CARTOONISTS OF HIS GENERATION' Le Monde

The Hollow Men

Rob McCarthy

Authors:

Rob McCarthy

A new must-read crime series for fans of Mark Billingham and Sarah Hilary: the perfect blend of detective and medical drama.Meet Dr Harry Kent. Former Army medic, hospital registrar, police surgeon, drug addict and defender of anyone the world would rather brush aside. His critics say he has a weakness for lost causes. Usually his police work means minor injuries and mental health assessments. But Solomon Idris's case is different. Solomon Idris has taken eight people hostage in a chicken takeaway, and is demanding a lawyer and a BBC reporter. Harry is sent in to treat the clearly ill teenager...before the siege goes horribly wrong. When Solomon's life is put in danger again from the safety of a critical care ward, it becomes clear he knows something people will kill to protect. Determined to uncover the secret that drove the boy to such desperate action, Harry soon realises that someone in the medical world, someone he may even know, has broken the doctors' commandment 'do no harm' many times over.And now only he stands in the way of them causing further hurt...

The Death of Rome Saga 1-3

Richard Blake

Authors:

Richard Blake

Three page-turning, exhilarating thrillers from Richard Blake: CONSPIRACIES OF ROME, THE TERROR OF CONSTANTINOPLE AND THE BLOOD OF ALEXANDRIA. Available together as a digital-only package for the first time. Perfect for fans of Simon Scarrow.

Essential Arabic Vocabulary

Mourad Diouri

Authors:

Mourad Diouri

This book is a comprehensive guide to the most essential vocabulary in Modern Standard Arabic (MSA). It's an ideal study companion for those in formal or high school or college and university education as well as self-learners. Featuring 20 theme-based units, this reference book is designed to help you become familiar with key Arabic words.It includes the following learning features:- Contemporary and commonly used vocabulary- Arabic vocalization and English translations for all words - Insight and context for Arabic loanwords- Grammar toolbox of essential rules and structures- Key dialect words and religious expressions- Reference guide to support your studies - A wide range of useful topics - Insights into Arabic language and culture.The book's thematic approach covers words for:- home and family - work and education - travel and tourism - government and politics - media and communication - hobbies and sport; and much more.Also available: Get Started in Beginner's Arabic (ISBN 9781444174960), Read & Write Arabic Script Script (9781444100198) and Complete Arabic (ISBN 9781444100174). Rely on Teach Yourself, trusted by language learners for over 75 years.

Not in God's Name

Jonathan Sacks

Authors:

Jonathan Sacks

Despite predictions of continuing secularisation, the twenty-first century has witnessed a surge of religious extremism and violence in the name of God.In this powerful and timely book, Jonathan Sacks explores the roots of violence and its relationship to religion, focusing on the historic tensions between the three Abrahamic faiths: Judaism, Christianity and Islam.Drawing on arguments from evolutionary psychology, game theory, history, philosophy, ethics and theology, Sacks shows how a tendency to violence can subvert even the most compassionate of religions. Through a close reading of key biblical texts at the heart of the Abrahamic faiths, Sacks then challenges those who claim that religion is intrinsically a cause of violence, and argues that theology must become part of the solution if it is not to remain at the heart of the problem.This book is a rebuke to all those who kill in the name of the God of life, wage war in the name of the God of peace, hate in the name of the God of love, and practise cruelty in the name of the God of compassion.For the sake of humanity and the free world, the time has come for people of all faiths and none to stand together and declare: Not In God's Name.

Church of Marvels

Leslie Parry

Authors:

Leslie Parry

'A SKILLFUL TRIUMPH' Jessie Burton, author of The Miniaturist - 'IRRESISTIBLE' Emma Donoghue, author of RoomNew York, 1895. It's late on a warm city night when Sylvan Threadgill, a young night soiler who cleans out the privies behind the tenement houses, pulls a terrible secret out from the filthy hollows: an abandoned newborn baby. An orphan himself, Sylvan was raised by a kindly Italian family and can't bring himself to leave the baby in the slop. He tucks her into his chest, resolving to find out where she belongs. Odile Church is the girl-on-the-wheel, a second-fiddle act in a show that has long since lost its magic. Odile and her sister Belle were raised in the curtained halls of their mother's spectacular Coney Island sideshow: The Church of Marvels. Belle was always the star-the sword swallower-light, nimble, a true human marvel. But now the sideshow has burnt to the ground, their mother dead in the ashes, and Belle has escaped to the city. Alphie wakes up groggy and confused in Blackwell's Lunatic Asylum. The last thing she remembers is a dark stain on the floor, her mother-in-law screaming. She had once walked the streets as an escort and a penny-Rembrandt, cleaning up men after their drunken brawls. Now she is married; a lady in a reputable home. She is sure that her imprisonment is a ruse by her husband's vile mother. But then a young woman is committed alongside her, and when she coughs up a pair of scissors from the depths of her agile throat, Alphie knows she harbors a dangerous secret that will alter the course of both of their lives... On a single night, these strangers' lives will become irrevocably entwined, as secrets come to light and outsiders struggle for acceptance. From the Coney Island seashore to the tenement-studded streets of the Lower East Side, a spectacular sideshow to a desolate asylum, Leslie Parry makes turn-of-the-century New York feel alive, vivid, and magical in this luminous debut. In prose as magnetic and lucid as it is detailed, she offers a richly atmospheric vision of the past marked by astonishing feats of narrative that will leave you breathless.

Marx: A Complete Introduction: Teach Yourself

Gill Hands

Authors:

Gill Hands

Is this the right book for me?Marx: A Complete Introduction will familiarize you with the revolutionary thinking of this significant man. It will take you through all the essential concepts - from class struggle to dialectical materialism. Expressing Marx's sometimes complex ideas in simple terms, and backed up with references to his own texts, this book gives you everything you need to know. Marx: A Complete Introduction includes:Chapter 1: Marx's early lifeEurope at the time of MarxThe early life of MarxUniversity lifeLife as a journalistThe Communist ManifestoExileChapter 2: Marx's later lifeThe move to LondonFamily life in LondonMarx and EngelsWork in LondonDas KapitalThe InternationalThe later yearsChapter 3: Marx and philosophyA brief history of philosophyWhich philosophers influenced Marx?Ancient Greek philosophersEuropean philosophyUtopian SocialistsRevolutionaries and anarchistsThe importance of Hegel and FeuerbachHow did Marx differ from those who went before?Political economyWhat part did Engels play?Chapter 4: Economic theoryDialectical materialism, historical materialism and economyThe capitalist economyCommoditiesTheory of surplus valueProfit and the division of labourCapitalism in crisisFalling wages and profitsSocial labourAccumulation and crisisCentralization of the economyWas Marx right about the economy?Chapter 5: Economy and societyImperialism and colonialismFetishismExploitationChapter 6: Class, class struggle and revolutionIntroductionThe development of capitalist societyDialectical materialism and class structureClass in the capitalist societyIdeologyClass struggleWorkers' power and educationThe Communist League and class struggleThe International Working Men's AssociationIs revolution inevitable?Chapter 7: Further Marxist thoughtAfter the revolutionCommunist societyReligionWomen's rights and the familyArt and cultureFreedom and the individualChapter 8: Marxism after Marx - ideas that changed the worldThe spread of Marxist thoughtThe development of socialismRussian communismChinese communismThe Cold WarThe decline of communismHas Marxism failed?Chapter 9: Marxism after Marx - the development of Marxist thoughtTypes of MarxismWhere does Marx fit in?Is Marxism relevant in the twenty-first century?The futureLearn effortlessly with a new easy-to-read page design and interactive features: Author insightsLots of instant help with common problems and quick tips for success, based on the author's many years of experience.Test yourselfTests in the book and online to keep track of your progress.Five things to rememberQuick refreshers to help you remember the key facts.Try thisInnovative exercises illustrate what you've learnt and how to use it.